Simple Living -Cloth Diapers

Remember my first post on simplifying, i said i want to try Cloth Diapers...but at the time thought that it was too big a step to take..but someone (Thanks Farrah!) gave me a slap on the face (not literally!) when she told me that 1 disposable diaper takes 500 years to decompose! 500 years!! imagine how many dispo Adam has had the past year...oh God..i just HAD to do something...make a move, even if small...

So i studied CDs and with help from Farrah and many other helpful CD mommies, i bought some Bum Genius pocket diapers from My Baby Pittstop. The owner was nice to work with. Here are the CDs..

the top one is Clementine, which is my favourite. it actually looks like a very pretty yellow, not orangey like the pic. the other two are Moonbeam and Ribbit..both very nice colours and prettier in person. sorry i tak pandai pakai my hubby's camera..the closing on these diapers are Velcro..



This is the inserts that came with each diaper. looks and feels like towel. it's microfiber and the labels says 70%polyster and 30%nylon i think...

this is how the pocket looks like. this is where the insert above are inserted in. you can see the kilat2 kat dlm pocket tu kan.. that's the laminate on the PUL outside layer that makes it waterproof...

I've only tested them once last weekend..tak berani nak kasi nursery lagi...i'll try until i myself feel confident firstlah :)

Testimonial: So easy to use. Exactly like normal dispo diaper. It didn't leak at all. fits nicely. In terms of handling the poo-poo, i find it not so bad actually Of course Adam decided to poop within the first half hour of wearing the first diaper (Clementine! tak sempat i nak amik pic dia pakai...heheheh) i scraped the poo-poo out into toilet bowl with a plastic spoon and just flush. the stain i sprinke with bicarb (yes, another use for bicarb, it will prevent staining and absorb the smell) and put in a dry pail. later just toss everything into the washing machine and wash with half the amount of laundry detergent together with his other clothes ..

then when i check after the cycle is done, there's still some staining. So i brush a bit by hand, then put again in WM in the rinse cycle...came out clean and fresh..

great! at least now i know a little bit more about CDs..i'm not scared of them anymore! hopefully slowly we can transition into full-time CD-ing! even the CDs i tgk mcm senang je nak jahit..if only i have the fabric..i will definitely try to make them...

P/S: Chun and Faie, try la CDs since baby lahir lagi nanti..au naturale! senang, tak susah rupenye...nnt kalau kite jumpa2 aku bwk CDs ni korang boleh pegang2..heheh...

Simple Living - Homemade Shampoo

When i learned about simple living, i realised that the key to simplifying would be to take small steps which are not overwhelming but will in turn lead to other things. I researched and i thought that the first step that is most appealing and most reachable are homemade shampoos. i was already running out of shampoo at the time and i thought, why not make my own?

This website has good information on how you can chuck your commercial shampoos and why it is better for you and the environment.

This is the recipe i use to replace shampoo;

Homemade Shampoo

1 tablespoon sodium bicarb

1 cup warm water

i normally make enough to fill up the bottle above and keep it in the bathroom. will last me about 3-4 washes. otherwise you can take a tablespoon bicarb in your hand in the shower and just make a paste with warm water and work it through your hair with your fingers. the mixture feels slippery in your hair, but doesn't make suds though, unlike normal shampoos, but this is ok since you do not actually need the bubbles to get your hair clean. after rinsing your hair will feel really clean, like squeaky clean. i got the sodium bicarb from a local bakery items shop for rm3+ per kilo. i also found about a million other uses and benefits of bicarb but i don't remember which website, i will update later on bicarb.

i also use a homemade conditioner rinse afterwards.

Homemade Conditioner

1 table spoon Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)

1 cup warm water

use about the same amount as the shampoo. sometimes i use the conditioner, sometimes i don't. but with conditioner my hair feel softer and smoother, just like normal conditioner la. the mixture smells like diluted vinegar, which i don't like but after rinsing smells just apple-ly, which is ok by me and doesn't smell after it dries. you can add some essential oil if you like to this rinse. i don't have any and i just go without.

this website has great information on ACV and its many health benefits and usage around the house. i got the ACV for rm5+ per bottle from Cold Storage. they have a good selection of ACV.

Testimony: after using these homemade haircare routine for 3-4 months, i am loving it. in the beginning not so much because my hair was getting rid of all the accumulating old commercial shampoos, and getting back to its natural state. once i get pass that stage, my hair feel softer and natural, i love it! don't miss my old nasty chemicals-filled shampoos and conditioners at all! i do however have problems with dandruff which i've always had even when i used anti-dandruff shampoos. i noticed that if i went without washing my hair with the above routine more than 3 days then i start to get dandruff. if i wash at least every 2 days i should be ok. next step is i want to try using full force ACV treatment since it is suggested to get rid of dandruff.

recently i have started Adam on this routine too. his hair looks soft as normal too. maybe one day my hair will reach that natural baby-soft hair again...??hehehe...

back to nature...i'm loving it! you guys can try it too! plus it is sooooo frugal! imagine, for the above, i've only spent rm 3+ for bicarb and rm 5+ for ACV and free recyled bottles. and with that, i have enough supplies to make shampoos for the next...1 YEAR probably! imagine how much money i'm saving on not buying commercial shampoos...plus, i know my hair is cleaner and i'm doing my hair and the environment some good by saving them from nasty chemicals!

Adam @ 14 months

I just realized I’ve forgotten to make a post on Adam’s development at 14 months. And what a month it has been!


He has learned to play ball! Now when given a ball to play with he’ll attempt to kick it or pull it with his legs..sometimes pick it up to throw..then chase after it again..his Daddy la paling happy about this new development…hehehe

He loves to dance. I don’t know how he learned this. He bends his knees repeatedly and moves his upper body. It looks really funny! Oh I must get a video..if there’s an audience clapping and encouraging him to dance he’ll joget even more long after the music stopped. In fact he doesn’t need the music..just tell him, “Adam joget?” Or “Adam dance?” And he starts dancing (when he’s in the mood for it) he really understands a lot of words we say now..

He knows what a key is and how to use it. Whenever he gets a set of keys in his hands, he will pick one and aim it at a door, trying to reach up to the keyhole/knob. Once I caught him trying to use the key on a set of drawers, after finding himself unable to reach the doorknob..

“pok pok” apparently is his cue for clapping his hands. I always sing “pok pok” (bujang lapok? Except I change the lyrics as I like) sambil tepuk2 him and nursing him to sleep. Now anyone says pok pok and he just automatically clap..and also do a high 5 if you offer him a hand.

Always respond happily when someone says Chip!Chip! or ask him “mana bird?” or “Where’s bird?”and he will point…somewhere. Up or to a tree if we’re outside and anywhere he fancies if we’re inside.

Sometimes demands to be bathed while standing. Takmau babytub. Berdiri tepi tub dia sambil kite simbah2 air pun jadiklah..Mandi petang he loves the most because we let him mandi cold running water yg melimpah keluar mcm waterfall…he will be so happy sampai kaki joget2 like happy feet..licin jatuh pun dia tak kisah…

He loves to be read to. He demands it over and over again. And he will point to the words/pictures as I read. Nowadays I often catch him ‘reading’ to himself, making up stories and pointing to the objects in the book. I can just imagine what kind of stories he must be making up. Tunggula nanti bila dia dah boleh berckp…haha..

Pandai main handphone. In the past he just put it in his mouth. Now he ‘operates’ it. Delete some of my contacts…write sms..call someone..check internet..changing the language to Chinese (?)..switch the hp on and off…and if I’m calling someone he knows I normally switch to speaker so he can join in the conversation. He will snatch the phone off my hand and put to his ear…kene je gaya mcm org on the phone..

Pandai main remote. Dari dulu mmg suka main tapi skang gaya power giler…kene je gayanye…hahaha…tuka channel, kuatkan volume..sometimes attempts to buy Astro BoxOffice? Even I pun taktau how to do that…

He loves the Norris Club advert! You know the one “Norris club teman sekolah anda yg lengkap!”. Ade animated cartoon of the globe which he thinks is cute kot…bila dia dgr je iklan tu..terus pegi check out TV, dahtu tersengih2 sensorang. Habis je iklan, angkat kaki buat keje lain…I don’t get what’s the attraction..hahaha…

He cannot sit still for one second! Except when sleeping and watching the Quran being read (on Oasis) early in the morning. Other than that mmg he’s always on the move..always trying to do something..always trying to climb something..always has a potentially dangerous project in mind! Adoi….honestly…I can’t catch up sometimes…I just let him be…he will come back to me when he’s ready…but he wants me to be around and paying attention to him, and not doing anything else…

He likes to take off my glasses and then korek my nose or his own nose with hujung spec tu…dahtu laugh like crazy…hahaha…

Adam, Adam…you never fail to surprise and entertain us with your antics…Life is never boring with you around =) Love you so much baby….muahs! Happy 14 month birthday!

Bird Park, KL

Last Saturday we went to Taman Burung, KL...Adam loves birds..hari2 ajak nak pegi tgk Chipchip (bird) Kalau kite buat bunyi chip! he points to the door, or if we're outside he points up..so we thought, jomla bwk dia pegi tgk bird byk2..biar dia tercengang...yo, bestnye...we went really early in the morning...

greeted by this lovely love bird, tgh mkn jagung..

dpt main chicks...sukaaaa...in the pic i'm trying to hold it away from adam..cos dia excited nak cekau chick tu...

this peacock is so beautiful she almost seem unreal in this pic kan...byk sgt peacock there..berjalan-jalan sesuka hati mereka kat dlm park tu..sampai saya takut pulak rase mcm peacock tu kejar saya n Adam...hehehe...

Adam tired (check out the messy hair!) but happy..

parrot house dia really nice...beautiful parrots yg sgt2 bising chip!chip!chip! dan bebas je kat situ ramai2..nak kasi mkn/pegang pun boleh...tapi saya takut...hehehe...

one great weekend, one happy family!

kesimpulan mmg bestla tmn burung for a relaxing outing..adam mmg tercengang habis smpi speechless...

pasni jom check out tmn kupu2 pulak...or tmn rusa...or tmn orked kat situ....yahoo....

Simple Living : What i am already doing

I shall start my simple living plans with things I am already doing, to motivate myself to keep doing them. I'm sure many ppl are already practising these things..

1. Breastfeeding – So simple, green and frugal! Of course being a working mom creates the need for pumps, but from the money I’ve saved by not buying a single tin of formula, my pumps have already paid for themselves. Lets do a simple calculation. Ok I don’t really know how much formula costs…hehe..i think Along mentioned it’s about rm55 per week, so..rm220 per month. Adam is almost 14 months old…so in total I’ve saved RM3080!!! My plan is to breastfeed him until he’s 2 years old, God willing, so by then I would have saved…RM5280!!! (btul ke aku kire ni..) So lets say I have more than 1 kid….how much can I save?? And that is just money-wise…Remember the China-formula incident?? God, that made me think how lucky I am that I don’t need to give my baby formula…just think of all the goodness of ‘liquid white-gold’ that Adam would’ve had by the time he’s 2…alhamdulillah…
   
   
2. Sewing – I’ve said time and time again how much I enjoy sewing. It is such a therapeutic and rewarding hobby. Not only do you get the soothing joy of the sewing process, you also get a beautiful craft as a result. It is the essence of a simple life. You can mend and refashion old clothes – I need to remind myself to do this instead of buying more clothes I don’t really need. You can sew your own pillows and curtains and bags etc at a fraction of its cost. Now sewing has even started to generate extra income for our family…alhamdulillah..
   
   
3. Co-sleep – I don’t know if this actually fits with simple living but I think it does. We don’t need a cot, or an expensive king-size bed, the whole family just snuggle together on the floor on natural cotton mattress. It just came naturally to us even though before Adam came we bought a cot thought we needed it. Co-sleeping compliments breastfeeding and means more sleep for me! (since I don’t have to get up to feed baby or check on him).
   
   
4. Homemade babyfood – Thank God for this website! I always suggest this website to anyone who wants to try out homemade baby food. Commercial baby food are not only expensive, they contain additives that we can’t even pronounce! I’m not sure how much money I’ve saved by preparing my own baby food…if you visit the website, you’ll see that it is manageable even if you’re busy too..
   
   
5. Babywearing – The way of life in the olden days. I’m glad that it’s now gaining popularity. And also happy that I am now contributing to helping others wear their babies too..
   

Ok these are what I’ve been practicing before I discovered, or rather was reminded of, simple living. I will share more things later on what I’ve tried out....

Simple Living - Introduction

We live in a world of consumerism. Everyday I spend my money on things I want, rather than being thrifty and spend only on things I need. Our lives are so polluted, and we don’t even know it. For a while now I’ve been thinking a lot about changing our lives slowly – to simplify, to live more naturally, to be frugal, to be greener. How?

There are so many goals I want to achieve, some of them are;

- To pay off our debts – make budget, live within budget, reduce spending on unnecessary items, reduce grocery/food bills, etc.

-To get rid of all the chemicals in the house – living with a baby and now toddler makes me realise the urgency of getting rid of so many hazardous item in the house. Floor cleaner, toilet cleaner, detergents, shampoos. These things are not good for the environment, what more if they come into contact with your baby. I’m looking into natural, green cleaning and starting to incorporate them in our house to replace these chemical cleaners.

-To cook nutritious food from scratch – prepared processed food are full of so-called ‘permitted’ additives, preservatives, coloring etc. No wonder we cancer is spreading like mushrooms nowadays. I want to start stockpiling, buying fresh staples, organic whenever possible and eat healthily, as well as saving money by not eating out anymore (or less eating out at least). I struggle on this idea because of time constraints. But I really want to achieve this. For now, only Adam gets the luxury of homemade food.

-To purge out the plastics – I would like to start using fabric bags to shop and not accept anymore plastic bags.

To try out CDs (cloth diapers) – many ppl are already doing this. But I’m still clinging on those disposables. Sigh. I can. I can. I will. Maybe next baby? Hehe.

-To start producing my own food for sustainable living – ok this is still far off but I like the idea of growing my own vegetables, fruits, or even just potted herbs. My mom and MIL has chooks, that’s even better. Or maybe cows and goats? Ok that’s too far off..hehe

-To learn new skills like knitting or repairing furniture or sewing curtains – to make and decorate my home with my own hands instead of always going to the shops and buying something ‘Made in China’.

Right, that’s all for now. Lots of things I’d like to achieve but I don’t want to overwhelm myself with too many targets at a time, that is a surefire way to failure. I’ll just start slowly and focus on one goal at a time.

Simple living is an ancient art, really. Back then, during our grandmother’s time, these things were just the way of life. They make do with what they have and they don’t waste anything. They were frugal and creative and they managed to turn their houses into homes with almost no money.

Hopefully this entry will be the start of more entries to come on this topic. I want to start recording here what i am already doing, what I am trying out, what I plan to try out in regards to simplifying my life. If there are any of you who has already practiced simple, natural living, and would like to share, pls do. I need all the motivation I can get. Maybe if I write my thoughts down I’d actually be more committed to doing them =) Although I am simplifying, taking the first few steps isn’t so simple.

Imigresen Malaysia - Cayalah!

I'm so impressed with Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia! We went there yesterday around 8am, we were worried because seemed like there was already a long q waiting outside. But there were informative staff standing around and they informed us to make passport for babies, no need to join the long Q, just go to this counter. we weren't even ready with the proper documentation at the point, baru je sampai. But everything was so quick nonetheless, after making payment, the passports are already ready within 2 hours! sempat la relax pegi bfast then collect the passports.

even the q also i notice didn't accumulate, they were very efficient. there's a machine where you could renew your passport pakai machine je. mcm atm. gile teknologi lah!

paling terkejut sekali, they have a Nursing Room!!! it's just a small tiny room, but still, it's amazing that they actually have one!

cayalah!